Starfish Therapies

A pediatric therapy company operating in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. We provide physical, occupational, speech and aquatic therapy services in the most beneficial and convenient setting for you and your child, including our clinic, currently located in Burlingame, your home, school or daycare.

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Gyro Bikes – aka ‘The Magic Bike’

July 7, 2011 by Stacy Menz

Gyro Wheel

At our clinic we are very bike friendly and pro-biking (not that you would know it from all the complaining I do when I’m on my road bike!) and recently we had the opportunity to try out the gyro wheel while working on bike riding with our kiddos.  We have been using the gyro wheel for a few months now and love it!  Myself and the therapists I work with are big fans of bike riding (see our prior post ‘Bike Riding‘) because of the way it impacts and improves motor planning, strengthening, balance, reciprocal lower extremity activation, endurance, overall fitness and most importantly because it is a great age appropriate social skill!  Since using the gyro wheel we have been able to progress a greater number of children onto a two wheeler without training wheels.  We call it ‘the Magic Bike’ and the kids love it.  My criteria for progressing them is that they already know how to pedal a two wheeler with training wheels such that they can propel the bike independently on level ground.  This means that they already understand how to pedal and can maintain constant pedaling without help for a decent distance.  This is important, not just for using the gyro bike but also for progressing off of training wheels because the kids are already focusing on keeping their balance, steering the bike and making it go, they don’t need to add in figuring out the mechanics of pedaling.  By using the gyro wheel I have been able to decreas the strain on myself as I assist the child in maintaining their balance and forward momentum.  In addition, they are able to begin riding short distances without my physical assistance significantly sooner then they would if we were to just use their standard two wheeler.  I work with a lot of kids with coordination challenges and overall low muscle tone and weakness.  These add to their challenges of mastering a two wheeler so having the assist from the gyro wheel allows them to fast track their success and increase their confidence and independence.  I highly recommend the use of this device, especially for children who have physical challenges that can impact their ability to achieve independent bike riding in a timely manner.

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Filed Under: Developmental Milestones Tagged With: balance, bike riding, coordination, exercise, gross motor development, hypotonia, kids, moms, motor planning, Motor Smart Kids, peer play, physical therapy, playing, Starfish Therapies, strengthening

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  1541 Old Bayshore Highway
  Burlingame, CA 94010


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